The Honorable Harry Reid
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Minority Leader
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Leaders:
The Business Roundtable encourages you to support legislation that does not apply Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements upon employer-sponsored health care coverage for those employees and their families who work outside of the United States. Business Roundtable is an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with $7.4 trillion in annual revenues and more than 16 million employees.
Business Roundtable companies provide health coverage to over 40 million Americans around the globe. We consider our employees to be among our strongest competitive assets and are committed to a benefits strategy that enhances their health, well-being, and sense of security wherever they may be. We have also advocated for reforms that will improve quality and make health care more affordable and more efficient.
As companies expand operations internationally, we face challenges in a global competitive environment, one of which is the application of ACA requirements to our globally mobile employees and their families. As currently interpreted, the complex and prescriptive requirements of the ACA apply to U.S.-based expatriate plans, which means U.S.-based international plans must comply with the domestic law’s requirements in all parts of the world and for all employees outside the United States covered on those plans, regardless of their citizenship and work location. Many of these requirements are difficult to implement in other countries and may not be relevant in other locations.
For example, the Summary of Benefit Coverage notification uses terminology and data that is specifically tailored to types of benefits, costs, and care offered in the United States. This form is not relevant to those who live outside the country. There are numerous examples of these types of requirements in the law that are unique to our health care system and should not be applied to benefits offered to employees who are residing outside of the United States.
Expatriate health care benefits are highly valued by our employees and ensure they can continue to benefit from an American health care option. This, in turn, assures the competitiveness of U.S. jobs in the global market. For these reasons, we urge Congress to pass narrow, common sense relief that provides certainty and clarity for multinational corporations and their ability to continue providing comprehensive health benefits for those employees outside the United States.
Sincerely,
Gary Loveman
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President
Caesars Entertainment Corporation
Chair, Health and Retirement Committee
Business Roundtable